Combined wire stretcher and splicer.



G. w. SKINNER.

COMBINED WIRE STRETGHER AND SPLIGBR.

APPLIUATI ON FILED AUG. 13, 1908.

PatentedOct. 5, 1909.

UNITED OFFTQE.

GEORGE w. SKINNEIR, or GILMORE, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED WIRE STRETCI-IER AND SPLICER.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE 1V. SKINNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gilmore, in the county of Isabella and State of Michigan,have invented a new and useful Combined lVire Stretcher and Splicer, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to wire stretchers and consists in a novelconstruction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown anddescribed.

The object of the invention is to provide supports.

In the accon'ipanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the wirestretcher. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of thestretcher cut on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview of the stretcher cut on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The wire stretcher consists of a lever 1 which is provided at its headend 2 with a transverse slot or opening Spring actuated pawls 4 arepivotally mounted in. the slot 3 of the lever 1 and are located in thevicinity of the opposite ends of the said slots. The slotted ratchet bar5 passes transversely through the opening 3 of the lever 1. Said bar 5as above indicated is provided along its longitudinal central axis withan elongated slot 6 and at its opposite side edges said bar is providedwith teeth 7. A draftbar 8 is pivotally and adjustably connected I ofthe said lever 1. The bar 8 is located in the slot 6 of the bar 5 andthe said bar 8 is provided at its opposite ends with friction wheels 11(see Fig. 2) which are adapted to engage the inner walls of the slot 6and reduce the friction between the bars 8 and 5 Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

Application filed August 13, 1908. Serial No. 448,443.

as they move longitudinally with relation to each other. The pawls 4 arenormally held in engagement with the teeth 7 of the bar 5 but the saidpawls are provided with projecting ends 12 which may be grasped andbrought together whereby the opposite ends of the pawls will bedisengaged from the teeth 7 of the said bar A spring catch 13 (see Fig.is provided upon the under side of the head 2 of the lever 1 and saidcatch 13 may be inserted in the groove of the screw 9 and is adapted toprevent said screw from turning or working loose. The bar 5 is providedat its forward pointed end with a perforation 14 and at its rear bluntend with a perforation 15. A chain or other flexible member 16 isattached to the blunt end of the bar 5 and may be carried around a postor other fixed object and secured at its free end to a staple 17 locatedat the opposite side of said bar 5 from that to which the other end ofthe member 16 is attached.

Vire clamps are used in combination with the stretcher herein described.Said clamp 18 is provided with upstanding lugs 19 which are spacedapart; the cam levers 20 are fulcrumed between the ends of the lugs 19and the body of the clamp 18. One of the levers 20 is provided at itsupper edge with a laterally disposed lug 21 which is adapted to enter arecess 22 provided in the other lever 20 and which forms an overlappingmeans between the two levers and is adapted to prevent wires fromslipping laterally from between the lovers. The adductor links 23 arepivotally connected with the free ends of the levers 20 and the oppositeends of the links 23 are passed through a ring 24.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the snap or hook may connect thering 24 of one of the clamps with the blunt end of the bar 5 by beingpassed through the perforation 15 and it is obvious that by engaging thesnap or hook 25 with the perforation 1+1: at the opposite end of thesaid bar the attached clamping device may be located at the pointed endof the bar. It will also be seen by reference to Fig. l of the drawingsthat one of the wire clamping devices above described is connected withthe draft bar 8.

The operation of the wire stretcher is as follows: hen it is desired tostretch one wire the flexible element 16 is passed around a post orother fixed object and is secured to the staple 17in the mannerillustrated .in 1 Fig. 1 of the drawings. The wire to be drawn isconnected with the clamping device which is attached to the draft bar 8.The lever l is then swung laterally and the spring actuated pawls 4alternately engage the ratchet 7 of the bar 5 and the said lever 1 andthe draft bar 8 are moved longitudinally along the bar 5. Thus the wirewhich is connected with the said device is stretched. lVhen it isdesired to stretch two wires to bring their ends together one of thewires is secured to the clamping device which is attached to the bluntend of the bar 5 the other wire being secured to the clamping devicewhich is attached to the draft bar 8. The lever 1 is then swung as abovedescribed when the ends of the two wires will be brought together. Afterthe end portions of the wires are overlappeu the same may be twistedtogether.

Having described my invention what I] claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: V

A wire stretcher comprising a lever having an enlarged slotted head, aslotted bar passing transversely through the slotted head of the lever,means carried by the lever head for engagement with the bar and adaptedto cause the lever to move longitudinally on the bar when swung, a draftbar lying in the slot of the first said bar, means for pivotallyconnecting the draft bar with the lever head, which means may be locatedat variable distances from the median longitudinal line of the lever,and means for connecting the bars with different objects.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, Ihave hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE lV SKINNER.

Vitnesses Maunron SKINNER, ERNEST B. BLn'r'r.

